Cover remover



Nov. 30, 1943. J. w.. MARCELLUS 2,335,777

COVER REMOVER Filed April 29, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JW/vmd/w Q lm crzforAlia/ways Nov. 30, 1943. J. w. MARCELLUS COVER REMOVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed-April 29 1942 FF I JM/VdICEZZZAS 14 zforneys Patented Nov. 30,1943 COVER REMOVER James Wilburn Marcellus, Morewood, Ontario, CanadaApplication April 29, 1942, Serial No. 441,007

3 Claims.

My invention relates to cover removers.

A specific object of the invention is to design a device for removingtight-fitting lids or covers from cans which will operate to lift orremove the lid by the manipulation of a single operating lever.

Another specific object of the invention is to design such a device sothat the lid, following its removal from the can, will automatically'fall back loosely upon the can.

Generally, the objects of the invention are to improve on devices forremoving or lifting tightfitting lids or covers from cans, a device madein accordance with the invention being efiicient, sturdy and simple ofmanufacture and of use.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicatecorresponding parts in the various figures,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device made in accordance with thisinvention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan View of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of Figure l, as Viewed from a slightlydifierent angle so as to show the guiding function of the legs supportedI by the can engaging ring.

Figure 4 shows a modified form of the device.

Referring now by numerals to the drawings, C indicates a typical milkcan which includes a lid L fitting onto the neck portion K of the can.Such a can usually has a ring or bead R welded to the can at or aboutthe lower end of the shoulder or frusto-conical portion of the can body.This ring may conveniently be made use of in supporting the device ofthe present invention in operative position, although the device willoperate whether or not such a ring is part of a can.

The device comprising a supporting member Ill, preferably in the form ofa ring adapted to surround the upper portion of the can and rest uponthe slanted portion thereof, and a mechanism including jaws l5 forengaging the lid and pulling the same way from the body of the can.

Secured to and spaced from the ring it! as by legs or supports II is arigid base or member i2. Suspended below the base l2 by a link I3, is abar or member M to which the jaws l5 are pivoted as at It.

The link l3, which is pivotally connected to the member l4 as at H, isin turn suspended by a lever l8 fulcrumed as at IS in a bracket risingfrom the base l2, the link being pivctally connected to one end of thelever l8 as at 2!. Thus, the member l4 may be moved toward and away fromthe base l2 by turning the lever in a clockwise direction and in ananti-clockwise direction, respectively. In order to increase themechanical advantage or purchase of the lever l8, a second lever 22,fulcrumed to the bracket 20 as at 23, includes a transverse web 24adapted to ride on a roller 50 journalled adjacent the free end of thelever Hi, all as best shown in Figure 1.

A U-shaped member 25 secured to the member l4 and having parallelupright portions 21 slidably mounted in the base l2, serves to guide themember l4 when moving relatively to the base l2 and to maintain the basel2 and member It in substantially parallel relationship; such U- shapedmember also serves as a means for lifting or handling the lid-removingdevice bodily, as when it is applied to the can or removed therefrom.

The jaws l5 are formed at their lower ends with hook portions 29 adaptedto project under the rim of the usual skirt of the lid whereby the lidmay be lifted away from the can. Springs 39 are tensioned between thejaws and the bar It, tending to turn the jaws toward the lid. The jawsare formed'with tails or extensions 3i adapted to engage the lower faceof the base l2 and cause the jaws to swing and'release the lid, when thebar M has been sufliciently moved toward the base l2 by the action ofthe lever 22. Thus, the lid will be automatically released by the jaws,and drop loosely upon the neck of the can, after the lever has beenoperated to lift the lid from the can. In order to determine theswinging movement of the jaws toward lid engaging position, a web 5! isprovided between the two adjacent jaws which is adapted to engage theadjacent end of the bar I4.

The 1egs ll may be formed and disposed as best shown in Figure 3. Thus,the legs are disposed at right angles to the plan of the base member 12and are substantially straight except that their lower ends are curvedor flared outwardly as at 55. The straight portions of the legs shouldcomfortably clear the lid L when the device is in operative positionupon the can, while the curved portions will similarly clear the slantedportion or shoulder of the can. The legs when so formed and disposedwill serve as a guide to better and more easily apply the device intooperative position upon the can.

The operation of the device will be easily understood. The device isbodily lifted as by the handle or U-shaped member 26 and deposited uponthe can the lid of which is to be removed. As the device is beinglowered onto the lid, the jaws engage the lid (more particularly theslanted portion), and swing away from the lid against the action of thesprings 30. As the jaws clear the rim of the lid, they swing toward thelid under the action of the springs to grasp the lid. The operatinglever 22 will now be in the operative or raised position shown inFigure 1. By pushing the lever downwardly, the member M, with jaws IE,will be raised bodily toward the base l2, which is supported in fixedposition above th can, and the lid will be removed from the can.Continued movement of the member M will cause the tails 3| of the jawsto engage the base l2 and the jaws will be swung away from the lid towithdraw the hook portions 29 from under the skirt of the lid, whereuponthe lid will fall back loosely upon the can.

Where the cans are on an endless conveyer, the device may take the formshown in Figure 4. Thus, two parallelly-arranged members 35 arepivotally connected at one end to a hub 36 rotatably mounted on a rigid,upright post 31, and connected at the other end to a bracket 60 securedbetween the base l2 and the ring I 0. Tensioned between one of themembers 35 and a second rotatable hub 39 is a spring (or springs) 40.Set screws 42 threaded through the hubs to engage the post may be usedto releasably lock the lid-lifting device in selected rotary positions,above or away from the endless conveyer (not shown).

The hubs may be supported by collars 51 slidable on the post andreleasably locked in selected positions longitudinally of the post as byset screws 58 threaded through the hubs to engage the post.

The operation of the lid-lifting device is the same as described withrespect to the form shown in Figures 1 and 2.

What I claim is,

1. In a device for removing a lid from a can, a ring adapted to belowered onto the can to be supported thereby clear of the lid, a memberrigid with said ring, a member between said ring and said first-namedmember, a lever pivotally mounted to said first-named member, a linkpivotally connected between said lever and said secand-named member issupported by said lever and may be moved toward and away from saidfirst-named member thereby, guiding means between said members wherebysaid members are retained in substantial parallelism irrespective oftheir relative positions, jaws pivotally suspended from saidsecond-named member adapted to engage an under portion of the lid, andsprings urging said jaws toward lid-engaging position, said jaws havingportions adapted to engage said first-named member to operate said jawsto lidreleasing position when said members have been moved one towardanother a predetermined distance.

2. In a device for removing a lid from a can, two members operativelyconnected for relative movement toward and away from one another, a ringadapted to engage the can to be supported thereby clear of the lid, legsrigid between said ring and one of said members to support said memberabove the can, means on the other of said members adapted to engage anunder portion of the lid, and means for relatively moving said membersone toward the other to remove the lid, said legs being disposedrelatively to one another to clear the lid when the device is inoperative position upon the can while serving as a means for maintainingthe device in substantially vertical operative position.

3. In a device for removing a lid from a can, two members operativelyconnected for relative movement toward and away from one another, a ringadapted to engage the can to be supported thereby clear of the lid, legsrigid between said ring and one of said members to support said memberabove the can, said legs being disposed relatively to one another toclear the lid when the device is in operative position and having theirlower ends curved outwardly toward said ring whereby said legs form aguide by which the device is easily applied upon the can, jaws pivotallysuspended by the other of said members adapted to engage an underportion of the lid, and means for relatively moving said members onetoward the other to remove the lid.

JAMES WILBURN MARCELLUS.

